6.1 Remote Online Notarization Overview

What Remote Online Notarization Is

Remote Online Notarization (RON) is a notarial act performed for a remotely located individual who personally appears before the notary not in the same room, but through real-time, two-way audio-video communication technology. Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 765 into law on June 15, 2021, making RON permanent and adopting the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) Chapter 194. Before SB 765, Oregon allowed RON only under temporary COVID-era emergency orders; the bill replaced that patchwork with permanent statute and administrative rules.

The legal definition matters on the exam: "personal appearance" in RON is satisfied by the live video link, not physical presence. That single substitution is what separates RON from paper notarization, and almost every other RON requirement (recording, credential analysis, knowledge-based authentication) exists to compensate for the fact the signer is not in the room.

RON Compared to Traditional Notarization

The Notary-Location Rule

The most heavily tested RON fact is location. The notary must be physically present in Oregon at the moment of the notarial act. The signer's location is irrelevant to the notary's authority — the signer can be in another state or another country.

Worked example: An Oregon-commissioned notary is visiting Idaho and receives a RON request from a client in Portland. Even though the signer is in Oregon, the notary is not, so the notary may not perform the act. Authority flows from where the notary stands, because the commission is granted by Oregon for acts performed in Oregon.

RON vs. IPEN — Two Different Electronic Acts

Oregon recognizes two electronic notarization paths, and the exam tests whether you can tell them apart:

• RON (Remote Online Notarization): signer is remote, appears by audio-video, recording required.
• IPEN (In-Person Electronic Notarization): signer is physically present with the notary, but the document and seal are electronic. No audio-video recording requirement because the signer is in the room.

What RON Is NOT

Common Traps

• Assuming the signer must be in Oregon — wrong; only the notary must be.
• Treating RON and IPEN as the same authorization — they are separate.
• Believing any video call works — only a vendor platform meeting Oregon and National Electronic Notarization Standards qualifies.
• Forgetting the $25 maximum fee applies per notarial act, not per session, and that travel or platform fees must be separately disclosed.

Why the Distinctions Matter

The exam frequently pairs RON facts with traditional-notarization facts to see whether you mixed them up. Three numbers anchor the comparison: the $10 maximum for a traditional act, the $25 maximum for a remote act, and the 10-year retention for RON records. A signing-agent question might describe a remote closing and ask the maximum lawful fee per notarized signature — the answer is $25 per notarial act, charged per signature acknowledged, not a flat $25 for the whole package.

Another frequent setup tests the difference between authority and convenience. A signer may strongly prefer a video call on a familiar app, but preference does not create authority: only a platform meeting Oregon's standards and the National Electronic Notarization Standards can be used. The notary's willingness, the signer's consent, and good intentions cannot substitute for a compliant platform.

On the Exam

• Authority date: RON made permanent June 15, 2021 via SB 765 (RULONA, ORS 194).
• Location: Notary in Oregon; signer anywhere.
• Technology: Approved platform only — not consumer video chat.
• Fee: Up to $25 per RON act (vs. $10 traditional).
• Records: Electronic journal + audio-video recording, 10-year retention.